Interpretive Summary: The genus Lycoris Herb. (Amaryllidaceae) consists of about 20 taxa and is mainly distributed in China, Korea, and Japan. Taxonomic treatment of Lycoris is not complete, and requires an update to include new taxa. Based on morphological characters from a limited number of accessions of Lycoris taxa endemic to Korea, grouping made based on the morphological characters does not agree with those made based on RAPD markers. Genetic diversity of Lycoris has not been investigated. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the genetic diversity and the hybrid origin of Lycoris taxa evaluating many accessions using molecular markers generated by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the 5.8S ribosomal DNA region. There is significant genetic diversity among L. flavescens, L. chinensis var. sinuolata, and L. uydoensis. A close affinity between the L. sanguinea complex and L. chejuensis in RAPD dendrogram and SNPs suggests that L. chejuensis originates from hybridization involving L. sanguinea var. koreana.

Technical Abstract:
Extensive taxonomic relationships among Lycoris Herb. (Amaryllidaceae) taxa native to Korea have not been analyzed previously. This study was carried out to investigate the hybrid origin, genetic diversity, and relationships of Lycoris taxa (L. flavescens, L. uydoensis, L. chejuensis, L. chinensis var. sinuolata, L. sanguinea var. koreana, and L. radiata var. radiata) using random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Selected accessions were subjected to sequence analysis for Lycoris sanguinea var. koreana internal transcribed spacer 1, 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, and internal transcribed spacer 2 regions. Lycoris uydoensis and L. flavescens were grouped into two sub-clusters. Accessions of other taxa grouped in one major cluster. Two haplotypes were observed: L. sanguinea and L. chejuensis with the haplotype 1 with bases of CTTATATATAT and L. chinensis var. sinuolata and all L. flavescens with the haplotype 3 with bases of TCTATA----T. Lycoris incarnata and L. aurea, non-endemic to Korea, had haplotype 2 and 5, respectively. There is significant variation in the genetic diversity of L. flavescens, L. chinensis var. sinuolata, and L. uydoensis. A close affinity between the L. sanguinea complex and L. chejuensis in the RAPD dendrogram and SNPs suggests that L. chejuensis originates from hybridization involving L. sanguinea var. koreana.